God has a body God is a spiritual being that has no

body of any size and shape

Passages appealed to by Mormons and Passages appealed to by the church for
Jehovah Witnesses and other Cultic and more than 2,000 years
Pagan Teachers
Gen.3:8 Luke.24:39
"And they heard the voice of the "For a spirit hath not flesh and
LORD God walking in the garden in bones."
the cool of the day." John.4:24
Ex.33:11 “God is a Spirit “
"And the LORD spake unto Moses
face to face, as a man speaketh John 5:37
unto his friend."
Ex.33:20 “Ye have neither heard his voice at
"And he said, Thou canst not see any time, nor seen his shape.”
my face: for there shall no man see
me, and live." Rom 1:22-23
Ex.33:22 Professing themselves to be
"And it shall come to pass, while my wise, they became fools, 23 And
glory passeth by, that I will put thee changed the glory of the uncorruptible
in a clift of the rock, and will cover God into an image made like to
thee with my hand while I pass by." corruptible man, and to birds, and
Ex.33:23 four footed beasts, and creeping things.
"And I will take away mine hand,
and thou shalt see my back parts:
but my face shall not be seen."
Ex.34:5
"And the LORD descended in the
cloud, and stood with him there."
Dt.23:12-13
"And thou shalt have a paddle upon
thy weapon; and it shall be, when
thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou
shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn
back and cover that which cometh
from thee: For the LORD thy God
walketh in the midst of thy camp...."

Ps 91:4
He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt
thou trust: his truth shall be thy
shield and buckler.

Ezek.1:27
"And saw ... the appearance of his
loins even upward, and from the
appearance of his loins even
downward...."
Ezek.8:2
"Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as
the appearance of fire: from the
appearance of his loins even
downward, fire; and from his loins
even upward...."
 Hab.3:3-4
"God ... had horns coming out of his
hand."

1. What is a body? A body is something that is extended in space. Scientifically, we

would say that a body has mass.

2. What is a spirit? A spirit is a being without a body; to be a spirit means to not have a
body, as Jesus explained to His disciples: As they were saying this, Jesus Himself
stood among them. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw
a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in
your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a
spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have" — Luke 24:36-39.

3. Now remember, the attempted line of reasoning usually goes like this: "It can be seen
that where there is intelligence there is a mind. And we know that where there is a
mind there is a brain in a body of a definite shape.”

4. However, this is not true.

5. We do not know that where there is a mind there is a brain in a body of a definite
shape — we only know that where there is a human mind, in this life, on this world,
there is a brain in a body of a definite shape.

6. Actually, we also know that there are unintelligent brains in bodies of a definite shape
— like the shape of animals, who have brains without minds.

7. Why then would we assert that there cannot be minds without brains? After all, does a
thought have a shape? Does a thought have mass and take up space?

8. The argument is next advanced that "although God does not have a material body, He
has a spiritual one." After all the Bible does say, “As there is a physical body, so
there is also a spiritual one" (1 Cor. 15:44).

9. However, a “spiritual body” is not a spirit — it is a physical body that has been
glorified by the spirit to enter the heavenly realm.

10. In saying the body is glorified we are saying that it is no longer subject to the
restrictions of this universe, this space-time continuum. But it is still a body.

11. When it comes into the space-time continuum it can be seen and touched like any
other body, like Jesus' body after the resurrection.

12. It may be a body that is perfectly united to a spirit, but it is still a body. And God does
not have one of those.
13. When Jesus said that God is spirit (John 4: 24), He was not saying that God has a
spirit body because there is no such thing — just like there is no dry water and no
cold heat — and he was not saying that God has a “spiritual body,” because only
beings who have once had a physical body can ever possess a glorified spiritual body.

14. Return again to the context of 1 Corinthians 15:42-48. So is it with the resurrection
of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown
a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also
a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the
last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual which is first but the
physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the
second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust;
and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne
the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

15. Note this part: "But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the
spiritual."

16. Before any one can have a spiritual body, he has to have had a physical body.

17. If you are going to say 1 Cor 15 applies to God, then you have to say that God once
had a physical body.

18. However, to say this scripture refers to God ignores what St. Paul wrote to introduce
this passage in verse 42.

19. To be “spiritual” does not mean to be “a spirit.”

20. “Spiritual” is an adjective and in 1 Corinthians 15 modifies “body.”

21. You can be spiritual without being a spirit, just like you can be musical without being
music, or fiery without being fire. Which brings us to an illustration:

If I heat a piece of metal in fire, it will take on the characteristics of fire. It will glow
and if you touch a paper to it, the paper will catch on fire. But the metal has not
become fire; it is still metal.

So it is with a spiritual body. It is still a body (something extended in space) although

it is so united to the spirit, so perfectly animated by the spirit, that it takes on
characteristics of spirit — like not being limited by time and space and being able to
dwell in heaven.

To have such a body (the kind of body Jesus has) is our hope, “the hope of glory” —
Colossians 1:27.
22. But God the Father does not have such a body. He is pure spirit. God is spirit, not that
he has a spirit. Since he is spirit, he lacks parts or a body, entirely.

23. That is to say, a bodily state is not the state in which God has existed from eternity.

24. God has existed in eternity as pure spirit, even though in the Son, he chose to take on
human nature in addition to his non-corporeal nature.

25. The Son in his incarnate state as Jesus took on the form of a human being. We read in
Philippians 2:5-8 that "Jesus Christ: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross."
He did not have a body in eternity past – he had to take on this form.

26. The book of John is a confirmation of the fact that Jesus existed as God in a glorified
state before his incarnation – before becoming a human being (John 1:1, 14).

27. He became flesh – he was not already flesh.

28. God took on the form of a human being in his Son, Jesus Christ, in order to
communicate directly with us and to complete our redemption.

29. What of those passages that seem to speak of God in human terms?

30. Those are called anthropomorphisms, that is, descriptions of God’s being, actions and
emotions put in human terms.

31. Though God is without a body, his acts for his people are said to be by "his mighty
arm" (Exodus 15:16).

32. God is also pictured as having a face, hands, fingers and a back (Psalm 27:8; 10:12;
88:5; Deuteronomy 9:10; Exodus 33:23).

33. As well, God is described as talking, walking, laughing, and weeping.

34. Such anthropomorphisms are poetic symbols or metaphors representing that which
would otherwise be indescribable, because God in his being is invisible and unknown.

35. Such symbols of God’s being are condescensions to us – put in words that we can
understand.

36. We have to have some way of describing God’s relationship to us. The only way this
can occur is through symbols that are understandable to our finite minds and
experience.
37. Consider that it would be logically impossible for God to be a six-foot-four inch (or
whatever height and weight) individual with a body of flesh and bone.

38. Unless God were a hermaphrodite – having both male and female sexual organs – the
scripture that is sometimes cited as "proof" of God having a human-shaped body –
would be reduced to an absurdity. Genesis 1:27 has God saying that he created both
males and females in his image.

39. The nature and size of the universe itself tells us that it would be impossible that a
God made in the image of humans could create, maintain and control the universe.

40. How could God, as a human-sized being, direct a universe of 10-12 billion light years
across?

41. He would be incomprehensibly dwarfed by the universe, as we humans are. Yet,

precisely the opposite is said of God – that the universe cannot contain him (2
Chronicles 2:6).

42. Literal anthropomorphism, as mentioned earlier, makes God in our image and forgets
that we are made in his image – which has reference not to shape, size or
composition, but to something of his spiritual qualities.

43. Human beings have been given the ability to reason and to express many divine
qualities, such as communication, invention and the creation of new things, but only
from existing materials.

44. God has also given humanity dominion and stewardship over his creation, which
shows humanity's place as ruler and king, much like God.

45. This is the meaning of God creating us "in his own image," not that God is like
humans in having bodily parts and shape.

46. Paul explains that literal anthropomorphism is a dangerous and pagan doctrine that
we should avoid.

47. He explains what happened in human philosophy and religion: "For although they
knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their
thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed
to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for
images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (Romans
1:21-23).

Some Specific Considerations

1. God's Face appears in multiple places of scripture.

  The two Hebrew words for face, (paniym and 'ayin) are used both literally and
metaphorically of man and God. In some cases God's face is the object of seeking,
indicating the favor of God (Ps. 24:6; 27:8; Prov. 7:15; Hos. 5:15).

 Both Prov. 29:26 and Eccl. 7:26 specifically demonstrate the non-literal use of the
Hebrew word for face, paniym, where it is explicitly translated "favor" in most
English Bibles.

 In other instances of scripture, the hiding of God's face is frequently used NOT to
reveal that God's face is normally physically visible yet disappears and is hidden
at His will; but, rather, it indicates the withdrawing of God's blessings from the
presence of disobedience (Deut 32:20; Job 34:29; Ps 13:1; 30:7; 143:7; Isa 54:8;
Jer 33:5; Ezek 39:23-24; Mic 3:4).

 In yet another expression or form of use, God's people will ask that God hide His
face and overlook their sinfulness (Ps. 10:11; Ps. 51:9), which is made possible by
the blood of Christ.

 Ultimately, the face of God refers to the spiritual presence of God. When God
takes action to show or hide His face, He is either intimately revealing His love
and compassion or expressing His displeasure; when man seeks or hides from the
face of God, he is either seeking God's comfort and favor or requesting pardon
from God's wrath.

2. God's Heart is no more a reference to a literal bodily part of God than is God's face.

 This can easily be proven by referring to Judges 5:9, where God's heart is said to
be "with the rulers of Israel," as surely God did not lend a bodily organ to Israel's
rulers.

 Even the scriptural allusions to man's heart fall short of across-the-board literal
references to man's bodily organ (one need only consult the expression of
"circumcision of the heart," Rom. 2:29, to realize this point).

 God's heart refers to His compassion for His people, His personal love and care of
them.

3. God's Hands are denoted by several words in the Hebrew and Greek, none of which
demand that God has literal and physical hands.

 God had declared that He would stretch out His "hand" against Edom (Ezek.
25:13; cf. Zeph. 2:13 on Assyria).
 Indeed, the Edomites were conquered by the Maccabees, but not by the literal
crushing of God's physical hand. Instead, the stretching out of God's hand in these
passages refers to the sweeping judgment of God against sin.

 Another significant use of the word "hand" in the scriptures is to indicate power
and strength. Judges 1:35 is an appropriate example here, not only because of the
translation of the word for hand as "strength," but also because it assigns the
singular noun to a group of people, the house of Joseph.

 The hand of God, particularly His "right hand" is symbolic of His strength and
power (Ex. 15:6; Ps 60:5; 63:8; 108:6; 118:15-16).

 Finally, an equally important concept behind the hand of God in scripture is the
explicit difference between the right and left hands.

 They do not differ because they are on opposite physical sides of God, but
because they indicate a difference of God's disposition toward the object at either
side (Matt. 25:33; Eccl. 10:2).

 God's right hand regularly is used in scripture to reveal God's favor (Ps. 80:17),
the left to express God's disfavor.

 Therefore, when used of God, the terms "right hand" or "left hand" have nothing
to do with spatial location; but, rather, they indicate God's level of pleasure.